Just His Luck
by bijoukaiba
Summary: One-Shot. For PitFTW and FoxPilot's Romance AU Contest. The doctors told Samus she had about seven months to go. Captain Falcon promised his wife that he would support her through to the end. FalSam. T for themes of life and death.


**Just His Luck**

Captain Falcon was a brave man, no doubt. It seemed like nothing could possibly scare him.

But now that he was leaning against the wall in the hallway of the hospital, his lungs filled with heavy anticipation and his heart racing like the Blue Falcon, he seemed to be a completely different man.

It wasn't because Black Shadow was threatening some sort of attack on Mute City, or because Samurai Goroh was continuing to swear to defeat him 'by any means necessary'; in fact, it wasn't because of any of his arch-rivals making their usual threats and jeers against the legendary racer.

It was because his wife, Samus, was in the room across from him... and he had no idea how she was doing in there.

It all started several months ago, when she had suddenly become very ill, and spent a lot of time in the bathroom, vomiting. At first, there were no worries - it was probably just a mild stomach virus that would pass in a day or two. However, after Samus's symptoms had persisted for several days, that was when they decided to see a doctor.

Dr. Stewart ran some tests, asked her some questions, and finally gave them the results. One test had come back positive, much to the surprise of the Falcons. He gave Samus a prognosis of about 7 more months. Dr. Stewart, as a friend of Captain Falcon, made sure to offer his support - he told them about various counseling groups in the area and made suggestions for her diet and medications that she could still take in this condition. Captain Falcon promised Samus - and himself - that he would do everything in his power to make things easier for her. Even if it was only emotional support... he would do it. Captain Falcon even went as far as purchasing a few cookbooks and taking a few classes to improve his culinary know-how to make their meals as nutritional and appealing as possible. He went from grilled cheese sandwiches to grilled salmon with a touch of lemon zest in a few days.

All for her.

Some days, Samus was lucky and had no problems with her stomach. On other days, something as simple as a few sips of water could set her stomach off. Her mood began to change as well, slipping into depression.

For instance, it was around this time that Captain Falcon had won a title in the Sapphire Cup. He was looking forward to celebrating his victory with his wife... except for one thing. Her condition forbade her from drinking alcohol when Samus was really craving a glass of red wine - especially to help her husband celebrate. Her cravings and depression did not make for a pleasant combination, leaving her in tears - as if she had disappointed her spouse. But Captain Falcon sat with her on the sofa that night, put an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her forehead, insisting he was fine with water anyway.

Another month passed. Samus had gone in for another doctor visit and another test. The doctor's bills certainly were not a pleasant sight - even after what their insurance would cover. Granted, because of their accumulated wealth from bounty hunting and Captain Falcon's racing, it wasn't exactly a crushing blow to their budget. But money is still money - and paying a lot of it isn't fun for anyone.

The racer wanted so badly to cure Samus of all her stomach problems, to eliminate all her worries and troubles from her condition. Maybe there was an inexpensive way to see the doctor? Maybe there was some sort of special medication that just "magically" cures all of a person's pain and suffering?

Unfortunately, just his luck, there was no "magical pill" to bring everything to an end and give Samus peace. The closest thing to a miracle pill he had was the loving promise he had made to Samus, vowing to make things easier for her.

Much to the delight of the Falcons, Samus's vomiting problem had essentially vanished over the course of that month. However, her appetite increased by a fair amount, sometimes eating more than her husband at dinner. To make matters worse, her condition also required her to avoid too much exercise, especially of the vigorous variety, so she had started to put on a little weight as the next month or two passed.

One day, the two of them decided to go check out a small get-together for other couples in the same situation at a local sandwich shop, and maybe grab a bite to eat while they were there. Captain Falcon settled for a simple ham and cheese sandwich; Samus opted for a salad. While he waited in line to pick up their food, Samus was chatting with the other women.

"At first, I wasn't sure how my daughter, Zoey, would react," commented one woman. "But she seems to have accepted it. She even packs a snack for me to take to work everyday. Sometimes I get carrot sticks, an apple, or crackers and peanut butter. She's really sweet."

"I'm about five months along, and I'll admit I used to be really nervous about this sort of thing," said another woman. "But ever since I started coming to talk with you guys, I've become less tense."

"What about you?" Zoey's mother asked Samus. "You're a new face."

"I think I have about two and a half months to go. At least, based on what the doctor said," Samus explained. She smiled, glancing over at her husband, who was bringing over two cups of water and their meals. "My husband has been supporting me over the past few months. Just my luck, I married the greatest man ever."

The other women were agape with wonder, staring at Samus, then Captain Falcon, then Samus again.

"He's... You're... you're Captain Falcon, aren't you?"

"You're married to Captain Falcon? Then... you must be Samus! You created such a stir in the news - at least, in the entertainment news - when it was announced that you were Falcon's fiancée!"

"Can we have your autographs?"

Samus and Captain Falcon exchanged an awkward look.

"You know what? I think I left the Blue Falcon running."

"We should both go check on it, just to make sure," Samus agreed, before the two of them quickly dashed through the door, food in hand.

After that experience, it was agreed that Captain Falcon - who was a little more used to dealing with paparazzi - would handle picking up take-out food whenever they ordered it.

The days quickly passed, one-by-one, until they finally found themselves in that final month. Ironically, Captain Falcon had found himself dealing with the anxiety and nervous feelings of knowing what could happen to his wife, rather than Samus herself. Everyday, he seemed grateful that she had made it through okay, until she finally decided to try and ease his worrying one night.

"I'll be okay. Don't worry about me TOO much, or you won't be able to sleep," she reassured her husband as they crawled into bed together one night.

"I know... I know... but think about it. It could be sometime in the next week, it could be on the weekend... it could even be tomorrow afternoon when you..."

She gently kissed him.

"And when it happens, it happens. We've prepared for this, so we should be ready when..." the blonde took a deep breath. "... When my time comes."

Samus flinched a little.

"You okay?" her husband asked, his head shooting up.

"I'm fine," Samus replied, fidgeting in bed, "I think I'm just lying down funny, my back hurts a little."

She finally stopped moving and smiled.

"See?"

"All right," Falcon replied, turning off the lamp on the bedside table. He turned over and kissed her. "Good night, Samus."

"Good night, Douglas."

Captain Falcon rolled onto his back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Samus closed her eyes as well, figuring a good night's rest would definitely help her feel better. About thirty minutes later, the pain in her lower back returned. She bit her lip, hoping the pain would vanish. Sure enough, after a minute, the cramping sensation disappeared. The huntress sighed in relief, snuggling into her pillow for a good night's rest.

If a 'good night's rest' was defined as thirty minutes of trying to sleep before more pain settled in, that is. Frustrated, Samus rolled onto her other side. Sure enough, the pain disappeared after a few seconds. She closed her eyes, thinking she would finally get some sleep.

Unfortunately, twenty minutes later, the pain returned. She could also feel it in her sides, too. Maybe it was her kidneys? After all, she also felt like she needed to use the bathroom. She got out of bed, careful not to wake her resting husband, and stepped into the bathroom adjacent to their bedroom.

_I'm okay. _She mentally promised herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror across from her as she stood up from the toilet. _You're okay, Samus. It's just some bad cramps._

Her pain subsided by the time she crawled back into bed. Captain Falcon was still asleep, clearly undisturbed. Samus sighed - he was lucky he could sleep without any of these pains.

On that note, a very painful cramp suddenly swept through her lower back through to her stomach. Samus groaned in pain, chewing on her lip. It had only been about seven minutes since that last wave of pain... and not to mention, this one felt stronger and lasted longer.

She finally caught her breath, a few beads of sweat starting to form on her face. She couldn't deny it anymore...

This was it.

She had never been in this much pain before - not even Ridley's claws trying to crush her body had felt this bad. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, it hurt to live. Images of her life flashed through her eyes - the Chozo, Adam Malkovich, the first time she met Captain Falcon, the evening he proposed to her... their wedding... their very first night together...

"Aaahh!" Samus cried out, as pain swept through her yet again. Her eyes squeezed shut, tears pooling in the corners, as she clung onto her husband's arm, trying to ask him for help without words.

The stinging pain of fingernails digging into his arm awakened Captain Falcon suddenly.

"Sam?" he asked groggily. He shook his head, suddenly awake. "Samus!"

The blonde was sweating heavily, her face screwed up in pain and suddenly devoid of color. Her grip on his arm weakened, but her hands trembled as she looked him in the eyes with an expression he had never seen from her - desperation. She couldn't speak, but he knew exactly what she was trying to tell him.

He had to get her to the hospital. Now.

Not even bothering to change out of his pajamas, Captain Falcon scooped his wife into his arms, bridal style, and carried her out to the garage. Awkwardly maneuvering the miniature remote that acted as the key to the Blue Falcon with one hand, he unlocked and opened the door.

Carefully, he slid Samus into the virtually non-existent back seat, pulling the front seat forward as much as he could to give her enough room for comfort.

"Just... just hold on, okay?" he ordered her, as he climbed into the now minimal space of the front seat - surely an uncomfortable fit, but right now all he cared about was keeping Samus comfortable. "I'm taking you to the hospital. Stay strong, Samus. You're going to be okay, I promise."

He had rushed her to the emergency room as quickly as possible, carrying her delicate body inside and demanding to see a doctor. Once again, Dr. Stewart had been available, and he agreed to see Samus. As the doctors and nurses crowded around his wife in the room, Captain Falcon could feel the effects of adrenaline wearing off. White spots clouded his vision, and a rushing sound filled his ears. He struggled to stay on his feet, remembering that he had promised to be there for Samus. And the sight of... was that blood? He had been used to seeing it during bounty hunting, but from Samus...?

"Sir?" one of the nurses asked, noticing the man in pajamas that had suddenly become very pale. "Sir, I think you might want to step outside and catch your breath, you look very woozy."

"But I'm... I'm her... husband!" Falcon insisted. "She... she needs me!"

He almost stumbled on top of the nurse, who barely managed to keep him on his feet.

"But I certainly don't think she wants to see you passed out on the floor after all of this!" the nurse argued. "Please, sir. Get some water, collect your thoughts, and then come back in. We're going to do everything we can to make this easier on her - and for both of you."

Reluctantly, Captain Falcon had left the room. He explained to the hospital receptionist that he was going to take a brief step outside to make some phone calls, but he would be right back. The digital display on his cell phone indicated that the time was 3:36 in the morning, but... considering the situation his wife was in, he knew his friends would understand. He pressed the first auto-dial number in his register - 555-0912. He heard the phone ringing on the other end, before a cranky voice spoke to him.

"It's three in the morning! What do you want?"

"Marth? Marth, it's you, right? This is Captain Falcon."

Marth was a college student that lived in an apartment in the same area as the Falcons' mansion. He was currently rooming with three other roommates - Link, Ike, and Pit. Falcon had met Marth one day when he was out shopping for the food he needed for their meals that week. They had started chatting and quickly became friends, especially since - even though Marth knew he was a famous racer - he didn't go ballistic like other fans did, begging for autographs or tickets to a race. A few times during the past few months, they had agreed to meet in secret - the four college students, Samus, and Captain Falcon - at either the mansion or the apartment, and they found that they had truly taken a liking to each other.

"Captain?" Marth gasped. "What happened? Is Samus...?"

"Yeah, she started having pains around one this morning, and I got her to the hospital several minutes ago."

"So why aren't you in the room with her? She needs you!"

Captain Falcon took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs. The nurse was right; he definitely was starting to feel better now that he was outdoors.

"I... I had an adrenaline rush in getting her here... and when it wore off... the nurse insisted I step outside for a few minutes to catch my breath and collect my thoughts."

"Ohh... in that case, are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't even think what effect this would be having on you..."

"Me?" Captain Falcon smiled, glancing up at the cloudy sky. "Right now, I'm starting to feel better. But before all of that... in all honesty, Samus has probably been taking this much better than I have. She's a very brave and strong woman. I couldn't ask for a better wife. But right now... right now... right now, I just hope she's okay. This was what we were 'waiting for', I guess you could say."

He could hear some chatter in the background, as well as Marth replying to the voices.

"All right, Captain. I'm going to let you go. Link says hi, and I think we speak for Ike and Pit as well when we say... we wish you both the best."

"Thanks, Marth. Go back to sleep. I'll try to give you guys an update by this afternoon. Bye," Captain Falcon replied, clicking the 'end' button on his cell phone.

He watched the clouds travel across the sky, as he waited to make sure he was feeling his best. Captain Falcon took a few slow, deep breaths, mentally hoping Samus was doing the same - especially if it would help relieve any stress or pain she was in. Once he was certain he was feeling stable, he turned around and went back into the hospital.

...

And that was how he had wound up leaning against the wall across the hallway from her door, his heart racing. At the last second, the concern for her well-being had returned, and Captain Falcon had to pause to stabilize himself against the wall.

_I have to be strong for her,_ he promised himself. _I have no idea what kind of pain she's in right now, and I never will... but she still needs me for support._

But to think... this was all part of that 'great Circle of Life' story...

Captain Falcon felt a little uneasy, but he shook it off - he promised himself this was going to be part of the "life" chapter in that story. He finally pushed off of the wall, ready to go back in and support Samus.

And then Dr. Stewart stepped out of the doors.

"Captain. You're still looking a little queasy, but not as pale as you were before. That's definitely good."

"Doctor... Samus, she's - "

The doctor nodded.

"Yes, she's done. She got through that much quicker than I thought, though that might have something to do with the fact that she's also much more active and stronger than some of the other women who - "

"She's okay?" Captain Falcon asked, gripping the doctor's arms.

Dr. Stewart was surprised by this sudden gesture, but he still managed to reply. "She's very tired - it took a lot out of her. But then again, what would you expect? ... Anyway..." the doctor smiled at his old friend. "She at least had the strength to ask where you were. I think she really wants to see you right now."

The racer's eyes shifted.

"Should I... get her some flowers?" Captain Falcon mumbled. "And I'm still in my pajamas, so maybe I should change clothes before..."

Dr. Stewart placed a comforting hand on the racer's shoulder.

"I think all she really wants is to see _you_ right now."

The bounty hunter nodded, before he finally stepped back into Samus's hospital room. His wife was still in bed - her hair was matted, her skin was pale, and there were tear streaks along the sides of her face. She appeared slightly sweaty and appeared to be resting. Gently, he lifted her hand into his palm. Samus stirred, her eyes fluttering open, and caught sight of her husband. Deep down, Captain Falcon had to admit he hated seeing her like this - she seemed so weak and defenseless. As if she had read his mind, the corners of Samus's mouth tucked up into a small smile.

"I know, I probably look awful right now," she joked weakly.

Captain Falcon shook his head.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, giving her hand an affectionate yet gentle squeeze. "You're still as beautiful to me as you were the day I met you."

He leaned over, gently pressing his lips to hers. Samus returned the kiss, but much to her surprise, there were tears in Captain Falcon's eyes when he pulled back.

"I'm so proud of you... you've been so strong for the past few months. I know it hasn't been easy, but you didn't give up. I love you, Samus. I... I just love you so much."

"Look who's talking. After all... I had my hero there to support me the whole way. We made it this far _together_," she replied, giving his hand a gentle squeeze in return. She smiled, taking a deep breath, and slowly closed her eyes. "... We... did... it..."

Captain Falcon gazed over her closed eyes, the soft smile that remained on her face, as she was finally able to rest. As he admired her peaceful features, he nodded.

"We really did," he whispered in agreement.

He didn't let go of her hand, though his eyes shifted to the window. The sun was just now starting to come up, and it appeared the new day was going to be a gray and cloudy one.

Captain Falcon frowned. Of all the days to be cloudy and dismal, it had to be the day his wife...

"So..."

The bounty hunter's brow furrowed. Did he really just hear Samus speak to him? It couldn't be... she was resting now, wasn't she?

He turned from the window to face her. Sure enough, her eyes were open, and she had a warm smile just for her husband.

"So... do you want to hold him now?"

Captain Falcon looked down at the small blue-blanketed bundle in Samus's arms, back up at her, and back down at the small bundle.

"Yes," he replied in wonder, gently lifting the baby into his cradled arms.

They had already picked out a name a few weeks earlier - Kent Rodney, named for Captain Falcon and Samus's respective fathers. The bounty huntress smiled, as she watched father and son becoming acquainted with one another.

Kent shifted around in his blue blanket, before gazing up at Captain Falcon with Samus's blue eyes, wondering who this strange new face was.

"It's okay, Kent," Captain Falcon reassured. He smiled warmly as he proudly added, "I'm... I'm your daddy."

Kent yawned, before closing his eyes. Looking up from his son to his wife, he couldn't help but chuckle. Both of them had fallen asleep. The whole 'miracle of life' must have taken a lot out of both of them.

Careful not to disturb his infant son, Captain Falcon took a seat in the chair at Samus's bedside.

Sure, their friends the college students were probably dying to know what had happened - but they could wait a little longer. Besides, Samus would probably want a chance to share her side of the story with them. The only thing that Captain Falcon had on his mind right now was his new family.

And just his luck, he had a greater family than he could have ever asked for.

**-a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-l-**

**Dr. Stewart is from the F-Zero universe.**

**And even though they aren't really "in" this story, I thought I would also add that Samurai Goroh and Black Shadow are also from the F-Zero universe, whereas the Chozo (the people that raised Samus), Ridley, and Adam Malkovich are from the Metroid universe. **

**There is also an OC based on Kent Akechi from a later F-Zero game. Kent Akechi claims he is the son of Captain Falcon... which is where the inspiration for Kent Rodney came from. Perhaps Kent Rodney Falcon will change his name once he gets older? (mysterious expression)**

**For some reason, I've really been enjoying writing ironic or surprising endings lately. Go see Chapter 2, "Don't Die", of my drabble collection in "The Hero and the Prince" if you want another example. I hope I was able to make this ending a surprise to my readers... I wasn't really feeling the 'surprise', but I definitely felt the love and unconditional support.**

**I also wanted to try to make Captain Falcon more 'human'. Sure, it's fun to imagine him being able to Falcon Punch a hole in the galaxy. But in all honesty, that's just a meme, a joke... I personally portray Captain Falcon as a human being - having strengths, weaknesses, and emotions. Yeah, that's right. I wrote about Captain Falcon getting a little emotional - he's a father now, who wouldn't be a little emotional? It also added to my attempt at irony, since it might make the reader think something bad had happened to Samus instead.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading!**


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